Read Luke 19:40
I love Sundays! I can’t wait to get to church every week and celebrate the work of Jesus in my life and in the lives of others. Even though I can’t carry a tune in a bucket, I love singing at the top of my lungs, expressing the gratitude and love and admiration and appreciation I have for God and the transformational love He’s extended to me in the person of Jesus Christ. And I love praising Him with all of you.
But for me, it’s not just Sunday, and it’s not just worship music. Julie and I have learned to praise God with our words at other times. Like when we see Him moving in the life of someone we love. Like when He brings us through a challenging time of ministry. Like when we see life change in someone through salvation. Like when He reveals something “just for us” in our regular time in the Word. Like when we sit down at our meal, recognizing that He is so faithful to graciously provide us with all we need… in great abundance!
Praise is necessary. We were built for it. Being created in His image, we have been uniquely wired to praise God. Unashamedly. Unreservedly. Unrelentingly. But for praise to be praise, it has to be expressed. It has to make its way from our hearts past our lips.
In today’s verse Dr. Luke tells of a time when Jesus’ followers “began joyfully to praise God in loud voices…” The religious elite decided that was too raucous a celebration, so they told Jesus to shut it down. Jesus would have none of it. He said, “I tell you, if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”
That’s one thing you don’t want on your spiritual record when you face Jesus: the stones praised God better than [insert your name here]. God’s going to be praised. He deserves it. Only He is worthy of it.
So which will it be for you? Stones or you? Someone else or you? Let’s be a church that praises God every chance we get… and let’s make it loud. Let’s make some joyful noise and make our Heavenly Father smile! And then let’s get together Sunday and “raise the roof!”
Dave Lawson
Read – or shout – a verse in Psalms out loud every day this week. Here are some to get you started.